School Administration Would Have To Approve Measure

A student-run advisory committee at the University of Central Florida is considering lessening the punishment for smoking marijuana so it would be equal to the less-severe punishment for underage drinking, a move that would have to be approved by administrators.

Some UCF students say that easing the rules on marijuana could keep classmates from drinking and possibly curb the dangerous trend of binge drinking.

If one group has its way, the rules for alcohol and marijuana use on the campus of the University of Central Florida will be equal.

The UCF chapter of the National Organization for the reform of marijuana laws, or NORML, says they’re only asking for a change because the majority of students on campus want this new policy. According to the group, smoking marijuana is a lot safer than chugging down some drinks.

In an effort to curb dangerous student drinking, the University of Central Florida is considering easing its penalties for student marijuana use.

The Golden Rule Review Committee will be voting on a proposal to establish equal campus punishments for student alcohol and marijuana use, so that the use of alcohol is no longer a more acceptable form of intoxication under campus policy. If the committee approves the new policy, it will be sent to the UCF administration for final approval and implementation.

When Brendon Rivard stands before the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws members, he has one simple message: Reform isn't sparked by what you say, but by how you say it.

No Post-Election Pause in Colorado

This month's national elections are over, but marijuana reformers in Colorado are taking no breaks. Just 11 days after red state Colorado turned dramatically blue, nearly 300 activists and would-be activists gathered last Saturday morning at Regis University in Denver for the 2008 Colorado Marijuana Reform Seminar and Activist Boot Camp, designed to make them more effective and to pave the way for more marijuana law reform in the Rocky Mountain State.